2000 Annual Report Executive Summary
Greene and Sumter Counties Enterprise Community
Year 2000 was a year of change and progress for the Greene/Sumter Enterprise Community. During calendar year 2000, the Greene/Sumter EC has approved a number of projects and loans to advance its strategic plan, objectives and benchmarks. A Grant Award Ceremony was held on November 9, 2000. The Greene/Sumter EC distributed funds for some of its projects, including:
- $5,500 for eleven (11) $500 matching college scholarships, for students from the EC area, who had done at least 100 hours of community service during high school;
- $60,000 to West Alabama Public Transportation to match $300,000 in Federal DOT funds, to provide van services to transport workers from Greene and Sumter Counties to jobs and training in surrounding areas;
- $3,000 to the Greene County Hospital and Nursing Home to support a training program for Certified Nursing Assistants, all of who will have jobs pledged at the conclusion of training; and
- $80,000 to the City of York for water, sewer and street connections for a $1.5 million strip mall, being constructed by Larkin LLC, at the Interstate 59/20 exit for York; this project will employ 100 persons.
One of our local High School Bands performed at this great event. The EC Steering Committee Members as well as the community were welcomed by one of Livingston’s City Councilman the Director of Sumter County Industrial Board. President of University of West Alabama, Congressman Earl Hillard representative, Representative Lucius Black, Chris Harmon, Director of Rural Business Cooperative Services, Elosie George, Manger Rural Development, and Patricia Butler, EZ/EC State Coordinator gave greetings. Keynote Speaker was Ms. Ann Payne, State Director, USDA/Rural Development.
Other projects approved by our Enterprise Community are:
- $58,000 to the City of Eutaw for the new Southfresh Catfish Processing Plant, which will employ 200 people.
- $76,000 loan to Carter Construction for equipment to allow the company to expand its workforce.
- $8,000 to the Sumter County Recreation Association for the upgrade of Sumter County Park for recreation for all residents of Sumter County.
- $10,000 to Tishabee Community Center for renovation of County Park in Greene County for recreation for all residents of Greene County.
The Greene/Sumter EC sponsored training for small business to develop plans to qualify for loans from the EC and other sources. These sessions were well attended and will generate new loan applications in the EC. Tuskegee University Small Business Assistance Center has assisted the EC in providing these training sessions. The Small Business Assistance programs at the University of West Alabama and Alabama State University are also assisting EC business persons in developing their plans and loan applications.
In partnerships with USDA/Rural Development, two housing seminars were given in the two EC counties. Representatives from Consumer Credit Counseling, Personal Debt Counseling and Community Service Programs of West Alabama were present at the seminars to assist potential homebuyers in accomplishing their dream of owning their own home. A "Survey of Living Conditions" was passed out to participants. Based upon the information from the survey, all of the participants were renting and living in subsidized apartments.
The EC partnered with Sumter County Board of Education to help implement its Summer Youth Employment Program. Students were introduced to job readiness by working at various businesses in the EC area. Students were paid a stipend by the Board of Education.
The Greene/Sumter EC has been involved in the development and funding of the West Alabama Regional Skills Consortium (WARSC), a major workforce training and development initiative. The WARSC program is focused on training and supportive services demonstrations in the EC. The EC assisted this program to secure $1.5 million in grants from the Department of Labor for demonstration projects to remove barriers, e.g., lack of basic skills, lack of transportation, lack of childcare, problems of drugs, etc from the rural workforce reaching jobs in and around the EC area.
Green/Sumter Counties EC Summary Page Green/Sumter Counties EC Funding Page